The subject matter disclosed herein relates to elevator systems suspended by belts.
Elevator systems utilize belts, for example, coated steel belts, operably connected to an elevator car, and driven by a motor to propel the elevator car along a hoistway. Coated steel belts in particular include a plurality of wires located at least partially within a jacket material, for example a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. The plurality of wires is often arranged into one or more strands and the strands are then arranged into one or more cords. In an exemplary belt construction, a plurality of cords is typically arranged equally spaced within a jacket in a widthwise direction. The motor drives a sheave, in this case a traction sheave, over which the belt is routed. The belt gains traction at the traction sheave, such that rotation of the traction sheave consequently drives movement of the elevator car.
Key characteristics of the jacket, which allow for smooth operation of the elevator system and a desired amount of traction over the traction sheave include surface roughness, surface chemistry, and frictional properties of the jacket material. Wear of the belt and jacket material over time alters the surface characteristics of the jacket, thereby altering traction, noise, and ride quality of the elevator system.